Potential Energy of Water

The Potential Energy of Water calculator computes the potential energy of a body body of water at rest at a certain elevation.

INSTRUCTIONS: Choose units and enter the following:

• (V) Volume of Water
• (y)  Elevation or Height of Water
• (g)  Acceleration due to gravity.

Potential Energy of Water U(y):  The calculator returns the potential energy in gigawatt hours (GWh).  However this can be automatically converted to other energy units via the pull-down menu.

The Math / Science

The formula for Potential Energy of Water is:

• U(y) = V • ρ • g • y

where:

• U(y) is potential energy of water
• g is the acceleration due to gravity
• V is the volume of water
• ρ is density of water
• y is the vertical displacement

The default acceleration due to gravity (g) is that of surface of the Earth at Sea Level (9.80665 m/s² ) .  The user can override the default with other values.

Elevated Bodies of Water

• Lake Shasta has a capacity of 4,552,000 acre⋅ft at an elevation of 1,067 feet.
• Lake Mead has a capacity of 28,945,000 acre⋅ft at an elevation of 1,229 feet
• Lake Powell has a capacity of 25,116,000 acre⋅ft at an elevation of 3,700 feet

Energy Calculators:

• Kinetic Energy (change of velocity)
• Kinetic Energy
• Relativistic Kinetic Energy
• Potential Energy
• Potential Energy of Gravity (two bodies)
• Force of Gravity
• Nuclear Binding Energy (BE)

• More information is available regarding Potential Energy in Light and Matter chapter 12.2 Potential energy: energy of distance or closeness
• YouTube video on Potential Energy